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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5956, 8 October 1890, Page 2

"The politioal platform of the wage-earners of Wellington " has been published in the papers of that city. It would be more correct if the announcement had been altered to that of " tho platform of the men who havo refused to «.arn wages," for tho advertisement is followed by tho titles of twenty Unions, the members of which are more or less on strike. These unions, or their delegates, havo nominated as their candidates for seats iv Parliament Messrs F. H. Fraser, W. McLean, and T. Kennedy Macdonald. We do not know what the political opinions of these gentlemen may be, but we have no hesitation in saying that they most be the ablest men in tho colony if they can see their way along the platform on "which they aro called "upon to walk. The planks of tho platform are as follows : —(1.) That the present system of disposing of the Crown lands be abolished, and that in future all lands be loaeed under conditions of compulsory residenoo and limited areas. (2.) That tho property tax bo immediately repealed. (3.) That a land tax upon the value of all land exclusive of improvements be imposed in lieu of the property tax. (4.) That the Legislative Council be reformed in tho direction of making it an electire body instead of a nominated ono. (5.) That tbo educational system as at present existing be preserved in its integrity, with the addition of a well-devised scheme of technical education. It will be observed that No. 1 plank has been tried in the past, and was found a miserable failure. Compulsory rosidonco on a limited area of land meant nothing more nor loss than serfdom to tho State, as it was known in Russia before emancipation. It was ono of the first liberal measures of the present Government to abolish that tyrannical measure of tho Stout-Ballance Ministry. Plank No. 2, the immediate repeal of tho property tax, and, No. 3, tho consequent cotomporaneous imposition of a land tax, are, of course, trifles light as air to a lot of ignorant men on strike who have no property to tax, and no land on which tho Stato could levy a contribution. The ohange proposed in tho incidence of taxation would, however, meet with tho hearty support of property-owners did thoy not know that tho heavy burdens they are called on to bear wore necessary for the maintenance of the credit of the colony. Planks Nos. 4 and 5 do not aim at tho ruin of Now Zealand, nor of the happiness and prosperity of tho people, and may therefore have only been included to make weight. But there is yet one other small plank that we have omitted, namely No. G, which prohibits tho importation of contract foreign labor. This has been appropriately introduced by men on strike, and needs no other comment.